Chari Hawkins

Chari Hawkins is an American track and field athlete specializing in the heptathlon, a two-day combined event featuring the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin, and 800 meters. Hawkins was a five-time All-American at Utah State University, earning three second-team All-American honors in the outdoor heptathlon and two in the indoor pentathlon. She was named Mountain West Indoor Athlete of the Year twice and Mountain West Outdoor Outstanding Performer of the Year. Hawkins holds multiple school records at Utah State, including the indoor 60-meter hurdles, high jump, pentathlon, and outdoor heptathlon. She completed a Master of Arts in International Education and Globalisation at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, where she won the heptathlon title at the England Athletics Combined Events Championships.

Hawkins' professional track and field career includes qualifying for the World Championships in Doha after a third-place finish at the USATF Championships and placing 12th on the global stage. She won her first national title at the USATF Indoor Championships, setting a pentathlon personal best of 4,492 points. Hawkins has represented the USA national team seven times and earned 14 medals in her professional career, including a NACAC Combined Events Championship title. At the World Championships in Budapest, she finished eighth with a personal best of 6,366 points. She set career bests in the shot put, javelin, and 800 meters at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, scoring a career-high 6,456 points to secure her place on Team USA for the Paris Olympic Games.

Hawkins' journey in athletics has included overcoming significant challenges with performance anxiety and mental health. Early in her professional career, she experienced severe performance anxiety and, after missing the Tokyo Games, faced a period of depression. She worked with sports psychologists and mental coaches to develop resilience and later created a mental health training program, 30 Days with Chari, which focuses on breathwork, daily habits, and strategies for building mental resilience. Hawkins has discussed topics such as performance anxiety and self-worth on media platforms and podcasts, including "The Gabby Reece Show."

Outside of track and field, Hawkins appeared as a competitor on the Prime Video reality series "Trainer Games," a fitness competition hosted by Amanda Kloots. She has been featured on E!, Good Day New York, NBC Los Angeles, Access Hollywood, and Glamour. Hawkins has also completed the London Marathon, further demonstrating her versatility in athletics. With a social media following exceeding one million, she is active as a motivational speaker and mental health advocate, engaging audiences in the sports and wellness communities.